EA's much-anticipated revival of Skate will mandate an "always on" internet connection, as confirmed in an updated FAQ on the official blog by developer Full Circle. The developer succinctly answered, "The game and city are designed to be a living, breathing massively multiplayer skateboarding sandbox that is always online and always evolving." This means players will experience both significant changes, such as city modifications over time, and smaller updates, like live events and other in-game activities.
An "always on" requirement implies that the game cannot be played offline, even for those who prefer solo gameplay. Full Circle emphasized that Skate needs to be connected to the internet "to deliver on [its] vision of a skateboarding world, the game will always require a live connection." This should come as no surprise to those who participated in the playtests, as the developer noted, "That is probably not much of a surprise if you’ve been in our playtest."
In September 2024, Full Circle initiated the Always-On Playtest phase, designed to evaluate the game in a continuously active live environment with servers running non-stop.
While Skate's early access is slated for 2025, a specific launch date has yet to be announced. Originally unveiled at EA Play back in 2020, the game was described as being in its "very early" stages. Since then, Full Circle has engaged the community through closed community playtests of early builds and recently introduced microtransactions.
Players can use real money to purchase a virtual currency called San Van Bucks, which can then be spent on cosmetic items. Full Circle aims to refine Skate’s microtransaction system, as they stated, "We want you to have a positive experience when purchasing items from the Skate store." In an unusual move for a playtest, the team explained, "We know that using real money during a playtest is a little unusual, but we think it’s the best way to properly assess and adjust the system before launch." They assured players that any money spent during the playtest would be converted into San Van Bucks (SVB) upon the reset for the Early Access launch, and any changes in pricing or other adjustments are part of the normal testing process.
